masonry

[mei0109]

My husband is a new christian.  He has many family members that are masons.  He was asked to join.  I don't know anything about the masons but I don't have a good feeling about this.  Can someone please give me some info on the masons and Christian views on this. 

 

[LouisBooth]

bad stuff....go to equip.org and search for masons.

 

[MizDoulos]

This forum is more appropirate for discussion on the Masons.

 

[LouisBooth]

hmm..okay...

 

[Annabel Lee]

Originally posted by mei0109
My husband is a new christian.  He has many family members that are masons.  He was asked to join.  I don't know anything about the masons but I don't have a good feeling about this.  Can someone please give me some info on the masons and Christian views on this. 

http://www.freemason.org/
Here is the website for the California Freemasons. They seem to be just a fraternal organization. I know others have differing opinions though.
My two grandfathers and my father were masons. That was years ago in NYC and I don't have a lot of information about it.

 

[Auntie]

Originally posted by LouisBooth

bad stuff....go to equip.org and search for masons.

hmmm......can we get a discussion going here? Tell us what you know, Louis, please.

What's wrong with the masons? Why are they bad? Are some masons good? How are they connected to the Shriners? I thought the Shriners were good, because they help a lot of people.

 

[Susan]

The Masons are not an innocent fraternity unless you want to dispense with every essential of Christian belief!
http://www.pfo.org/masonldg.htm

 

[Greeter]

We are all limited by what we have seen, but from what I have seen Masonry is a noble institution.  I can't say enough good about it.

I became a Mason in 1999 and learned all I could about it.  I was interested in Masonry though long before I joined as some of my historical heroes were Masons: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson.

Masonry is not a religion.  Is it just a fraternity? For some yes but for others it is much much more.  Is it a secret society?  If it is, it is the worst kept secret ever.  Within Masonry there are secrets about how we recognize each other but that is about it.

The way I would describe Masonry is it is an institution to make men better men.  I have met some Masons who were disappointing but for the most part all the Masons I have known were men of high character.

When I went through some very difficult times my Masonic brothers took very good care of me.  It was because of Masonry that I would go on to become saved.

I have heard the stories about demonic rituals and pagan beliefs but I have never seen any indication of such within Masonry and I was an officer of a lodge whose duties it was to teach about Masonry.

Is there the potential that there are Masonic Lodges out there practicing such odd things? Yes, but then they are doing so outside the teaching of Masonry and are acting on their own, the same as a Christian church teaching things that don't follow the teachings of Jesus.

God is very important to a Mason.  The "G" on the Masonic Emblem stands for God.

Within Masonic Lodges you will find men of varying religions.  I have met Pastors of various Protestant denominations and like them have found nothing within Masonry to contradict or conflict with my Fundamentalist views.

Do I promote Masonry over Christianity?  No, but then none of my Masonic Brothers who are Christians would either.  It is much better for a person to be saved, but if they aren't saved there is still hope for them if they are joining a Masonic Lodge.  While the Lodge doesn't directly teach about Christianity there is a very good chance they will be having contact with Christians outside the Lodge.

While I would love for the Lodge to solely give the teachings of Jesus, I also respect their wish to accept men of high character of all faiths.

All Shriners are Masons.  First you would become a Mason and later on you could become a Shriner.

 

[EJO]

Check out this web site:

http://www.ephesians5-11.org/ex_masons_for_jesus/

 

[EJO]

Freemasonry requires its members to believe in the existence of a Supreme Being and also to believe that there is only One God. Freemasonry refers to its god as the Great Architect of the Universe. It teaches that all men, of all the various religions, worship the one God, simply using a variety of different names. It is on that basis that Masons may be Hindus, Moslems, Buddhists, or men who profess to follow Jesus. Freemasonry requires a belief in the existence of A Supreme Being, but does not define that being.

The Holy Bible however, reveals that the truth is somewhat different. The Bible does state that there is only one God:

I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. (Isaiah 45:5)

However, it states that those who practice pagan religions worship idols and demons, rather than the God of the Bible. Psalms 96:5 reveals that the gods of the many nations which surrounded Israel were idols. Those peoples did not worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

Paul warned the Christians at Corinth not to participate in pagan worship. He revealed that pagans worship demons rather than God.

Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. (1 Corinthians 10:19-20)

The Bible clearly reveals in Luke 4:33 that demons are spirits.

In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit.

Hinduism, Buddhism, Wicca, and other modern day pagan religions, worship demons, rather than the God of the Bible. We can know this because anyone who rejects Jesus Christ, rejects God.

Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. (2 John 9)

With these facts clearly documented from the Holy Bible, it is easy to know that the foundational teaching of Freemasonry, namely that all men worship God, is not true. Since Freemasonry does not follow in the teachings of Christ, the god of Freemasonry cannot be the God of the Bible.

Since God is a Spirit, a question you might ask of a Worshipful Master, or other Mason, is the following:

Is Vishnu, the god which Hindus worship, the same spirit which you refer to as the Great Architect of the Universe?

It is a simple question. The answer is either "Yes", or "No."

If the Mason answers yes, then you will know that he does not know the difference between the God of the Bible and a demon. He does not know God. How can he be a Christian?

If he says no, then obviously you have demonstrated to him that all men do not worship the same God simply using a variety of different names. When Freemasonry accepts the god of a Hindu as a Supreme Being, it declares that demons are Supreme Beings. How can he be sure that the spirit he worships in lodge as the G.A.O.T.U. is not a demon?

Does Freemasonry lift up Jesus Christ as the only way to salvation as is documented in John 14:6? Clearly, Freemasonry does not follow in the teachings of Christ. Therefore, Freemasons do not have God. (2 John 9)

Freemasonry is a pagan religion. Paul warned that it was not possible for a man to participate in paganism and also be a Christian. He wrote:

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. (1 Corinthians 10:21)

In John 4:24, Jesus told us:

"God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."

If a man has bought into the Masonic lie that all men worship the same god, simply using a variety of different names, then he cannot be worshiping in truth. Therefore, he cannot be worshiping God when he goes into the lodge.

 

[ZiSunka]

My grandfather was a mason, and after he died, we found a lot of his old books in his house. They contained all sorts of weird rituals and freaky pledges, like, he would be willing to sacrifice his oldest son (my dad) if he ever revealed what went on in any of the rituals. ICK!

I'm sure your husband wouldn't want to particiapte in that!!

 

[EJO]

Here is a letter on the above site that I posted ealier Ex masons for Jesus, it is very interesting:

I was heavily involved with the Order of DeMolay as I was growing up. I
was a state ritual champion and a past state appointed officer (Pennsylvania). I have been awarded the Chevalier and Legion of Honor
from DeMolay.

I joined the lodge when I was 21 (nine years ago). I wasn't able to go
to many lodge meetings due to education commitments, so I was really
never more than a dues paying member. However, I know much of the
Fraternity through my father and through my intimate involvement with
DeMolay.

DeMolay is a channel directly into the lodge and I got to know many
Masons, including Grand Masters, on a first name basis.

I never thought of the lodge and the church as mutually exclusive, until
I made a profession of faith.

I had some personal problems in my marriage which resulted in my wife
leaving me. I came to know the Lord during the two weeks that she had
left. When my wife and I met to discuss how we would divide the
property, I shared what had happened to me. A short time afterward, she
accepted Christ as her savior, too. Our marriage and family were saved!

Part of my Christian commitment was, of course, to examine all areas of
my life and bring them in line with the Lordship of Christ. Since I was
a Freemason, I naturally examined this area.

I asked for books from my pastor and elders in my church (Presbyterian
Church in America). I also completed my own personal study using
Masonic authors that included Pike, Mackey, and Blackmer. As a matter
of fact, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania recommended Blackmer's book as a good summary. Additionally, I read Ankerberg and Weldon as well as
Jack Harris' book.

Throughout this examination, I tried to be as objective as possible. I
came to the conclusion over the course of several months that membership
in the lodge was incompatible with Christianity. The PCA's position
paper on Masonry also helped me finalize my decision as did the Orthodox
Presbyterian Church's tract, "Christ or the Lodge?"

Particularly relevant in my decision were passages in the Bible dealing
with yoking believers and unbelievers together, especially using the
severe oaths of the lodge. The "Universal Fatherhood of God and
Brotherhood of Man" is another concept that scripture does not support.
We are, rather, sons by adoption.

My readings in Blackmer helped me realize the origins of Masonic rituals
in Egyptian sun worship. Finally, the Grand-Omnific Royal Arch Word as
an amalgamation of Jehovah with two other pagan gods was nothing less
than blasphemous. I could not dismiss this, because Blue Lodge and
Royal Arch Masonry are the only two, true original forms of the Craft.
Therefore, it did not matter what other types of Christian
window-dressings were placed into the York or Scottish Rites. It also
does not matter how much they attempt to change the rituals to be more
palatable to Christians, since the origins, to me, betray the focus.

Val W. Finnell M.D.

 

[ZiSunka]

Part of my Christian commitment was, of course, to examine all areas of my life and bring them in line with the Lordship of Christ.

 

[Annabel Lee]

Originally posted by Greeter
We are all limited by what we have seen, but from what I have seen Masonry is a noble institution.  I can't say enough good about it.

I became a Mason in 1999 and learned all I could about it.  I was interested in Masonry though long before I joined as some of my historical heroes were Masons: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson.

Masonry is not a religion.  Is it just a fraternity? For some yes but for others it is much much more.  Is it a secret society?  If it is, it is the worst kept secret ever.  Within Masonry there are secrets about how we recognize each other but that is about it.

The way I would describe Masonry is it is an institution to make men better men.  I have met some Masons who were disappointing but for the most part all the Masons I have known were men of high character.

When I went through some very difficult times my Masonic brothers took very good care of me.  It was because of Masonry that I would go on to become saved.

I have heard the stories about demonic rituals and pagan beliefs but I have never seen any indication of such within Masonry and I was an officer of a lodge whose duties it was to teach about Masonry.

Is there the potential that there are Masonic Lodges out there practicing such odd things? Yes, but then they are doing so outside the teaching of Masonry and are acting on their own, the same as a Christian church teaching things that don't follow the teachings of Jesus.

God is very important to a Mason.  The "G" on the Masonic Emblem stands for God.

Within Masonic Lodges you will find men of varying religions.  I have met Pastors of various Protestant denominations and like them have found nothing within Masonry to contradict or conflict with my Fundamentalist views.

Do I promote Masonry over Christianity?  No, but then none of my Masonic Brothers who are Christians would either.  It is much better for a person to be saved, but if they aren't saved there is still hope for them if they are joining a Masonic Lodge.  While the Lodge doesn't directly teach about Christianity there is a very good chance they will be having contact with Christians outside the Lodge.

While I would love for the Lodge to solely give the teachings of Jesus, I also respect their wish to accept men of high character of all faiths.

All Shriners are Masons.  First you would become a Mason and later on you could become a Shriner.

Thank you for the first hand information, Greeter.

 

[ZiSunka]

God is very important to a Mason. The "G" on the Masonic Emblem stands for God.

Within Masonic Lodges you will find men of varying religions.

If God is part of masonry, which God? If men of various religions honor God, whose God is it and how to they all do it together.

Honest questions, not trying to pick a fight, just trying to understand.

 

[Auntie]

Originally posted by mei0109

My husband is a new christian.  He has many family members that are masons.  He was asked to join.  I don't know anything about the masons but I don't have a good feeling about this.  Can someone please give me some info on the masons and Christian views on this. 

mei0109,

If I were you, I would ask my husband to find out if the other members of his lodge are all Christians. If all of the members of his lodge are Christians, then that should make a difference, I would think.

 

[VOW]

My grandfather was a Mason, and I know of no man who cherished God more. My uncle is a Mason, and he's into Metaphysics.

The goal of a Mason is to be one with the universe. And they believe they are a special group, higher than the rest of the population, entitled to the priviledges they can give each other in their brotherhood. Yes, the Masons do wonderful things, but you must consider the foundation of that brotherhood. They allegedly trace their origin back to Solomon, but there is no truth to that.

In actuality, it is an organization born of the Renaissance, to supposedly counteract the teachings of the Catholic Church. Many leaders of this country past and present, are Masons. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and others; and there are Mason symbols throughout the architecture and planning of Washington DC.

If you want to get all hyper about conspiracies, the Masons are probably at the root of the "New World Order" garbage.

For what it's worth, the Catholic Church has formally condemned Masonry, and forbidden its members from joining. It is considered to be counter to the teachings of the Christian faith.

In condemning Masonry, all that follows is also condemned, the Order of the Eastern Star (for women), deMolay (for young men), and Job's Daughters (for young women) are all subordinate organizations to promote the support of the male Head of Household belonging to the Masons.

Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons) became a Mason, and then incorporated many of the secret rites into the secret signs of the Mormon Church. Many of the symbols he carried directly over to Mormonism, merely shifting left to right and right to left. Only recently has the leadership of the Mormon Church removed from the secret oaths the part about slitting your throat and being disemboweled should you reveal these secrets to outsiders.

So, is it just a bunch of men dressing up in funny clothes, meeting in secret, having special handshakes and making funny oaths, yet really being good guys and contributing to the community?

I wouldn't want my husband to be a Mason. Or my son. You can certainly do good deeds without getting involved in all that other junk.


Peace,
~VOW

 

[Greeter]

Masonry is not a religion.  It isn't meant to be.  If someone is looking to it for spiritual truths they are making a mistake.  If anything, Masonry is a tool to get you to look closer at your spiritual life but not be a replacement for it.

For a very long time now (before the US came into being) was the thought that "all roads lead to Heaven".  Masonry came into being during that time and wanted to bring men of character closer together regardless of their particular faiths.  Think of Masonry as any other fraternity that has freedom of religion(though you have to believe in only one God).  If we criticize Masonry for freedom of religion we should also be criticizing a nation, with that same thought, that came into being with the help of some Masons (namely the USA).  How about our Pledge of Allegiance?  "One nation under God."  Which God?  Are Christians wrong for saying that knowing that there are people of other faiths that say it as well?

Does Freemasonry lift up Jesus Christ as the only way to salvation as is documented in John 14:6? Clearly, Freemasonry does not follow in the teachings of Christ. Therefore, Freemasons do not have God. (2 John 9)

Hmm, we could substitute "the USA" in for "Freemasonry" and come to the same conclusion.

Ofcourse you then have the argument that the USA isn't a religion, but then neither is Freemasonry.

Something was made clear to me back when I was questioning Freemasonry after being saved.  I wasn't expected to believe that those who weren't Christians were worshipping the same God as I but I was expected to treat them with the same respect I would a brother.  If it was up to me I would change a few things within Masonry, as would many other people, but to help promote harmony we are under oath not to cause disharmony within the Lodge by trying to change it.

My grandfather was a mason, and after he died, we found a lot of his old books in his house. They contained all sorts of weird rituals and freaky pledges, like, he would be willing to sacrifice his oldest son (my dad) if he ever revealed what went on in any of the rituals. ICK!

I'm sure your husband wouldn't want to particiapte in that!!

Neither would any of the Masons I know of as that is clearly in violation of the rules of Masonry.  Just like any other organization, Masonry does have problems with groups distorting or violating the rules.

Just think of how many Christian cults exist out there today, or how many public schools are in violation of Federal rules.

 

[JagSayon]

I have absolutely no Freemansory background but I came across some interesting notes. I don't know if they're real, you be the judge:

1) The Great Architect of the Universe that masons pray to is actually Baphomet, but most masons don't learn about it until they reach the highest levels. Baphomet is the old god of Baal worship and masonry.

2) The satanic goat of Mendez (God of Lust) can be fitted into masonry's Eastern Star. General Albert Pike, the Grand Commander, sovereign Pontiff of Universal Freemasonry said: "That which we must say to the crowd is: we worship a god, but it is the god that adores without superstition. To you Sovereign Grand Inspectors General, we say this, that you may repeat it to the brethren of the 32nd, 31st and 30th degrees - the masonic religion should be, by all of us initiates of the high degrees, maintained in the purity of the LUCIFERIAN doctrine. If Lucifer were not god, would Adonay (Jesus)...calmuniate (spread false and harmful statements about him)?...Yes, Lucifer is GOD..."

A.C. De La Rive, La Femme et f'Enfant dans la Franc-Maconnerie Universelle (page 588)

3) Masonry is just modern Baal worship with new titles. The "all-seeing-eye" is from the Egyptian god, Osiris. The Obelisk is a Masonic symbol of a male sex organ right out of Baal worship.

4) The red fez under the glass dome (small ornament in the home) is actually a shrine to Allah. In the 8th century, Muslim hords overran the Morrocan city of Fez and butchered 50,000 Christians. The streets ran red with blood. The Muslim murderers dipped their caps in the blood in honour of Allah. Those blood stained caps were called fezzes, idols dedicated to a false god (satan).

5) One of the witchcraft items worn my masons include the cursed Masonic apron. Aprons worn by high level Masons are packed with occult symbols.


[line]
The Witchcraft Side of Masonry


Issue Date: March/April 1997

By William Schnoebelen

There is something about the Lodge that has always attracted sorcerers. The list of occultists and witches in the last century who were Freemasons reads like a Who's Who of 20th century occultism:

Arthur Edward Waite - occult writer and Masonic historian.
Dr. Wynn Westcott - member of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia and founding member of the occult Order of the Golden Dawn.
S. L. MacGregor Mathers - co-founder of the Golden Dawn.
Aleister Crowley - master satanist of this century and founder of the anti-christ religion of Thelema.
Dr. Gerard Encaussé - (Papus) masterful author, teacher of the Tarot and leader of the occult Martinistes society.
Dr. Theodore Reuss - head of the O.T.O., a German occult/satanic society which made Crowley its head for the British Isles.
George Pickingill - the master warlock (male witch) of 19th century England, leader of the "Pickingill covens."
Annie Besant - leader of the occult Theosophical society and Co-Masonic hierarch. (Yes, there are female Masons!)
Alice Bailey - founder of the New Age organization, Lucis (formerly Lucifer) Trust.
Bishop C. W. Leadbetter - Theosophist, mentor to the failed New Age "Christ", Krishnamurti, and prelate in the occult Liberal Catholic Church.
Manly P. Hall - Rosicrucian adept, author, founder of the Philosophical Research Society.
Gerald B. Gardner - founder of the modern Wiccan (white Witchcraft) revival.
Alex Sanders - self-styled "King of the Witches" in London and one of the most influential leaders of Wicca after Gardner

[line]

There is also a denial of the Lord Jesus Christ in Masonry. Though there are many references to pagan gods in the writings of Masonry, there is little or no mention of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the charge that is read during the opening of a lodge meeting, <B>1 Peter 2:5</B> is read in part. The full verse reads, <B>1 Peter 2:5</B><I> Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ</I>. But the last three words from: <I>"by Jesus Christ" </I>are omitted. This omission is at best a very serious error! However, as you study Freemasonry, the omission falls into place with the accepted view of Jesus Christ..

My personal Christian stand on this? Its evil. Don't go near it.

Jag

 

[Greeter]

I spent last night reading through the links opposing Masonry that appear in this thread.&nbsp; I even decided to do a search about it on yahoo that led me to this:

http://dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Social_Organizations/Freemasonry/Opposing_Views/

While I would normally just dismiss the arguments against Masonry as being nothing more then the usual arguments made out of ignorance and fear, &nbsp;I felt that I should look into them more since my fellow Christian brothers are bringing them up.

Within some of the sites listed above are Christians viewing their problems with Masonry.&nbsp; I love that these Christians have found salvation.&nbsp; That is wonderful.&nbsp; The problem is that they previously considered Masonry to be their religion when it isn't supposed to be(kind of like making your sport your religion).&nbsp; They missed a big part of Masonry, and some of those who had huge gaps in their thinking even&nbsp;managed to attain positions of authority within Masonry.&nbsp; Kind of like someone trying to teach science when they have misconceptions on most of the theories.

Some of the sites are very informative but will take a long time to check for errors.&nbsp; One of the problems for Masons trying to fight errors is that we can point out things in error but can't reveal the truth without violating an oath we took to not reveal the secrets of Masonry in any way, shape, or form.

Some of the things mentioned, like the old Masonic symbol having something to do with an Egyption God (not too surprising since a Pyramid is shown), could be true and would obviously be in contradiction to my faiths but then I am not praying or worshipping that symbol to start with.&nbsp; Like my Christian Masonic brothers, during times of prayer at a Masonic Lodge, we are praying to our God, much like any Christian would pray while called for a time of prayer at any public event in the USA.

Initially I found it alarming that there was so much against Masonry but then on impulse I did a check about sites against Christianity and found this:

Within many of the sites listed there are also testimonials about all the things wrong with Christianity by former Christians.&nbsp; Obviously they are Christians who were misinformed and/or took Christianity the wrong way.&nbsp; I guess that can happen with anything.&nbsp; It is much like any public event where someone comes away with the wrong message.


Edited: To remove anti-Christian link